Zadie Smith all set for Cambridge Wordfest talk and book signing

- She studied English literature at King’s College in Cambridge – it’s where she met her husband Nick Laird, finished writing White Teeth while in her third year and was rejected for a place in Cambridge Footlights (fools). We think this is enough of a basis to claim her as our own.

- Her four novels to date – White Teeth, The Autograph Man, On Beauty and NW – are all undoubtedly wonderful. Subtle, intelligent, all-encompassing and ridiculously easy to submerge yourself in. Oh, to be able to write like that…

- She manages to be a mum of two, is a tenured professor on New York University’s creative writing program, writes critically acclaimed novels (Man Booker Prize nomination here, Orange Prize for Fiction wins there), and is still achingly cool.

- Somehow she dealt with the pressure of university, a bidding war over her debut novel (which wasn’t yet finished), and earned her keep as a jazz singer (see, told you she was cool).

- She watches Game of Thrones, and told the London Evening Standard earlier this year: “That is a masterpiece. The last episode, after it finished, we just sat in the dark for half an hour... Literary novelists would do well to learn to plot from these people.”

- It’s by-the-by, but her younger brother is comedian and rapper Doc Brown – he of the Comic Relief Equality Street rap with Ricky Gervais. She’s from a seriously talented family.

If you haven’t already nabbed a ticket to see her speak – and sign books – as part of Cambridge Wordfest next week: Do. It. Now. You won’t regret it.